buddhism

Distinctive and colourful, you’ll find them swinging from any high point or windy place across the Himalayas, but why? Tibetan Buddhist in origin, the 5 colours represent nature’s elements: earth (green), fire (red), water (blue), sky (white) and space (yellow).

For a long time the Annapurna Circuit was one of the world’s classic treks, high up on the must-do list of many a seasoned traveller. And with good reason, too: circling one of Nepal’s most beautiful mountain ranges over a

I explained in an earlier post how the government of Bhutan charges a minimum USD $200 per person per day fee to all tourists irrespective of what they do, a fee that’s set to increase to $250 next year. I

This is a post of two halves, with the second instalment next week looking at the other side of the coin. Much has been said about the high cost of tourism in Bhutan, where the government charges a minimum fee

Be a good person and you too can become a demigod Trekkers and mountaineers who spend a lot of time travelling in the Himalayas often experience the feeling of being gompered out, ie. having visited so many Buddhist monasteries (or

It’s the end of our second day in Lhasa, and tomorrow we head off along the Friendship Highway to Cho Oyu Base Camp. It’s my second time here, but I still feel I know the city a little better after

Prayer flags – what are they?

Is the Manaslu Circuit the new Annapurna Circuit?

5 reasons why Bhutan is NOT worth the $200 per day tourist fee

5 reasons why Bhutan IS worth the $200 per day tourist fee

The Buddhist Wheel of Life

The Forbidden City